Our zesty-for-life friend did a 180. She hung up her rave dancing shoes, put away the directions for the quick trip to Hotlanta and moved to Minnesota where she shacked up with her dear man-friend, Doug. On a recent visit to the big apple, she was relaying a popular Midwest table fare called a “hot dish,” and her new family’s ultimate favorite: the Tater Tot Hot Dish.
I couldn’t figure it out. First off, I kept calling it, incorrectly a “tater tot hot pot.” Secondly, I just couldn’t understand Doug’s criticism of my friend “doing it wrong” by getting “fancy” with all kinds of other “exotic” ingredients, … like garlic salt! (???) Third … tater tot topping?!!
So on her next visit to NYC, she came with a house-warming gift. My very own hot pot dish cookbook. Look out! That same day I traveled to Fairway (our fancy grocery store) where my friend steered the grocery cart right past the oh-so-tempting fresh produce section towards the frozen goods. “Honey, you won’t be needing any of that fresh veg for this dish” she informed me. We landed first at the organic frozen food section. “Nope, you don’t need or-ganic, you need ore-ida.” And off we went. Frozen peas – check. Frozen green beens (french cut, not to be fancy, but because they lay better in the pan .. like, duh!) – check. And of course, tater tots (extra crispy, or original, my choice).
Later that night, as I top sauteed ground beef with cream of mushroom soup, my head is playing back every new-years-resolution, healthy-eating article I ever read; my father is salivating; my mother is shaking her head in quiet dismay … all that she taught about nutrition, I should know better.
The concoction is layered and bubbling in the oven. I won’t lie, it was fun and it looks scrumptious. How funny that I find myself, Boston-bred, Miami-educated, Europe-cultured and New York City-living .. getting in touch with the roots of my Ohio forefathers.
How will it taste? Stay tuned! My first tater tot hot pot is bubbling in the oven.
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Let us know how it tastes. Maybe with reduced-fat cream soup it would be healthier. Anyway, anything quick and easy is my goal these days!
Mom R
this obviously needs photographic evidence! TaterTotHotPot!
UGH…you are so right! Dad is salivating and wondering when I will make him that dish???…and I’m saying Never!!!
Just try to imagine…get the picture…I’m taking 2 Red Yeast Rice pills 2x a day for my cholesterol that is off the charts…eating oatmeal daily, salads and/or yogurt, or boring cottage cheese with fruit for lunch and then chicken and/or fish for dinner…broiled or grilled, natch, and watching Dad eating his T-bone and Becky….you are sending me a recipe for this yummy sounding, easy to make, artery clogging Tater-Tot Hot Pot Dish??? Get back to the fresh veggie/fruit isle as quickly as possible!!!
xoxoxoxo Mom
I know who sent you that recipe…I am a very good guesser… and she’s in BIG trouble!!!
AHH! Cute post Becky. Yes Mrs. Osmon, ..it was me. Can’t you try it just one night? At first I thought I would never eat this….but its actually delicious!
And Becky… those “dancing shoes” aren’t hung up for good. Just stored in a safe place!
One year later, and I again find myself staring at this recipe. Someone asked for it, so I thought it appropriate to keep things grouped together … so reposting here as a comment. Reprinted from the Hot Dish Heaven book cited earlier in this post …
Heat oven to 350F
In large skillet, lightly brown 1 lb ground beef + 1/2 cup chopped onion. Spread this into baking dish. Top with 2 cups frozen veg (e.g. peas, greenbeans, corn, etc.). In small mixing bowl, stir 1 10oz can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup with 1/2 cup milk. Drizzle this over the veggie layer. Top with 1/2 package of frozen tater tots. Pretty sure I also added a handful of shredded cheese, but that’s not in the book.
Bake for an hour or so until tots are nicely browned.
We ate off of this for almost a week and it never got old. Fat yes. old no.
Thanks, Becky! Tater Tot Hot Pot tonight! Can’t wait to try it out!
As promised, here’s my recipe for Tuscan Pot Pie:
The original recipe is from a little cookbook called “Grandma’s Casseroles”. We didn’t have all the right ingredients the first time I made it, and I have since done a little extra tweaking, so I changed the name.
Grandma Chris’ Tuscan Pot Pie
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1 lb Ground Turkey (the original recipe calls for 3/4 lb bulk sweet or hot italian sausage)
(garlic salt, dried oregano, dried basil to season the turkey)
1 jar (26-28oz) prepared chunk vegetable spaghetti sauce (Ragu Chunky Garden Vegetable works well)
1 can (19oz) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained (original recipe calls for Cannelini beans)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups or 6oz)
1 package refrigerated crescent dinner rolls – too really take it over the top, use the pillsbury garlic-flavored variety
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1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. Brown gnd turkey in a medium oven-proof skillet. (I actually use a non-oven proof skillet and transfer to a caserole dish prior to placing in oven.) Add garlic salt, basil, oregano, (and any other seasoning you desire) to taste while browning meat. Drain the drippings.
3. Add spaghetti sauce, beans, and thyme to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. (This is where you’d transfer to a casserole dish if your skillet isn’t oven proof.)
4. Unroll crescent dough, divide into triangles. Arrange in a spiral fashion with points of dough towards center, covering meat/sauce/cheese mixture completely. Bake for 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and meat mixture is bubbly.
Be careful serving, because it will be VERY hot! (probably not a bad idea to even let it sit for 5 minutes or so) Enjoy.